About: The University of Pittsburg is a state-related research university located inPittsburg, Pennslyvania. In 1787 after the American Revolutionary War, it was founded on the edge of the American frontier as the Pittsburgh Academy. For most of its history, Pitt was a private institution, until 1966 when it became part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education. It is the second-largest non-government employer in the Pittsburgh region behind UPMC. Pitt is ranked among the top research universities in the United States in both domestic and international rankings, and has been listed as a “best value” in higher education by several publications.